Each student traveling in your group must submit the following forms:

Finally, your travel advisor must submit the following form:

Your file will only be complete once all of the above forms have been completed and submitted through OrgSync.

Forms submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Student Travel Guidelines

The Student Travel Program is a Student Affairs Fee Funded program sponsored by the Student Affairs Board. The purpose of this program is to provide funding to student organizations and clubs interested in attending educational conferences in the United States and in some cases, Canada and Mexico. Individual students presenting professional papers within their academic discipline may also apply.

Who is eligible?

Groups of three of more students, including members of student organizations, attending a conference.

Individual students; or students in pairs attending and making scholarly presentations at conferences or other academic and educational gatherings.

Students’ judicial history will be checked. Any judicial violations may impact your ability to receive Student Travel funding.

All students (both undergraduate and graduate) must have a travel advisor (full-time faculty member or administrative staff member) agree to accompany them on the trip. Student Travel does not provide funding for the travel advisor. Students will not be eligible to apply for funding unless they have an approved travel advisor.

Students and student groups who receive a Student Travel grant will not be eligible to apply again for funding until the following academic year. Student Travel recognizes July 1st – June 30th as the fiscal year for funding.

Full time employees of MSU Denver are not eligible even if they are a student. Employees have access to professional development funds through their departments.

Undergraduate Student Requirements:

Students must have completed at least 12 units of coursework at MSU Denver before they can apply for travel funding.

Students must be enrolled in 6 units of coursework on the main (Auraria) MSU Denver Campus the semester they plan to travel. Extended campus courses, correspondent courses and other coursework exempt from the Student Affairs Fee do not count toward the 6 credit requirement. No exceptions can be made for this enrollment requirement.

Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Graduate Student Requirements:

Students must have completed at least 6 units of coursework at MSU Denver before they can apply for travel funding.

Students must be enrolled in 6 units of coursework on the Main (Auraria) MSU Denver Campus the semester they plan to travel. Extended campus courses, correspondent courses and other coursework exempt from the Student Affairs Fee do not count toward the 6-credit requirement. No exceptions can be made for this enrollment requirement.

Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

How to Apply:

The travel advisor and Individual/Lead Student should contact the Director of Student Travel (303-556-2595) to schedule a meeting at least two weeks in advance of submitting a travel proposal. This consultation is necessary so that the specifics of the funding process, including the proposal and presentation, may be discussed.

A completed Student Travel Program Travel Proposal must be submitted in accordance with the Proposal Submission Dates (see proposal deadline schedule below).

The travel advisor and Individual/Lead Student are required to present an overview of their proposed travel to the Student Travel Committee. The Student Travel Committee meets once a month on a Friday. Completed Travel Proposals are due using this form on the first day of the month, TWO MONTHS PRIOR to traveling (e.g.,October 1 for travel in December). See schedule below for due dates.

No late or incomplete proposals will be accepted.

All completed Travel Proposal packets submitted using this form in accordance with the guidelines above will be reviewed by the Student Travel Committee for funding consideration. The funding limits for individuals and groups are:

Individual students can receive up to $500 per person per fiscal year. (Must be presenting research at the conference)

Pairs can receive up to $1,000 per fiscal year. (Must be presenting research at the conference)

Groups of three or more students can receive up to $1,500 per fiscal year.

All individuals and groups are limited to one trip per fiscal year. The fiscal year begins in July and continues through the following June (e.g., fiscal year 2014-2015 runs from July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015).

The Student Travel Program will consider funding the following:

Transportation to and from the event. Transportation may include airfare and/or ground transportation. Airfare MUST BE PURCHASED by the Student Travel Program through the State Travel Agency. Students will not be reimbursed for airline tickets purchased directly through any other source.

Conference Registration

Lodging for travelers

The Student Travel Program does not provide funding for meals or other incidental expenses, nor does it have funding available for International Travel (other than Canada and Mexico). Student proposals for travel to either Canada or Mexico will be considered on a case-by-case basis and funding will cover airfare only. In accordance with the University's official travel policies, any requests for funding to attend conferences in Canada or Mexico
must be pre-approved by the University's President.

If funding is approved, what happens next?

After receiving notice of funding awards through the Student Travel Program, each individual or group is required to meet with the Director of the Student Travel Program to finalize travel arrangements and to discuss their obligations and responsibilities.

Student Travel Committee:

The Student Travel Committee consists of faculty, staff, and students from the MSU Denver community. The Student Travel Committee has five regular voting members. These Committee members include the Director of Student Travel, who serves as the Committee’s Chair; a designated representative from the Student Government Assembly; a student employee from the Student Services division; a faculty member; and a student-at-large (designated by the Committee Chair). Committee members and positions may be substituted at the discretion of the Director of Student Travel. The Committee meets the second week of each month to determine funding for the Student Travel Proposals submitted for the month of travel.

The Committee bases its recommendations on the following:

Thoroughness and quality of proposal materials and completion of all application requirements

Academic enrichment of the event (both to those attending and to the MSU Denver student body)

Organizational enrichment of the event (for those attending, the organization represented, and to the MSU Denver student body)

Enhancement of cultural diversity at MSU Denver

How the travel proposal supports the educational mission of the institution

Personal enrichment of the event to the individual(s) attending

Compliance with all MSU Denver and State of Colorado Fiscal Rules

Availability of funds

The Committee scores each proposal and presentation utilizing a score sheet. Funding decisions may be appealed to the Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Wellness for reconsideration in special situations.

Stipulations:

No funding is available for proposals received late.

Last minute changes or late fees are the financial responsibility of the organization, club or individual making the changes, not the responsibility of the Student Travel Program or Student Travel Committee.

No funding is available for any individuals other than MSU Denver students or MSU Denver Student Clubs and Organizations. Faculty and staff are excluded from funding from this program.

A travel advisor is required to accompany students on trips. This helps to enhance the educational experience of the students, ensure positive institutional representation and participation, ensure proper conduct and handle any emergency that may arise while at the off-campus event. Please call the Student Travel Program at (303) 556-2595 for further information regarding travel advisors.

All students applying for Student Travel funding must read and electronically sign the Student Code of Conduct when they apply for funding. Each person traveling is expected to abide by the Code of Conduct while traveling as a representative of MSU Denver. Students and Travel Advisors must bring their MSU Denver ID cards with them while traveling as representatives of the University.

Incomplete paperwork or non-compliance with any condition of this program could result in refusal of funding for the individual or the organization for the following full year. If paperwork is completed at a later time, the individual or group may be reinstated for future funding. Additionally, if a student does not attend the conference for any reason and travel arrangements have been purchased, that student is responsible for paying back all costs to the program. If the student chooses to not pay the program back, that student may have to go through the judicial process.